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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- J. D. CURTIS. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES FOR"MAKING WIRE FENCING.

Paten r. 20, 1886 N. PETERS Fhntnlnhognpher. Wnshinginn n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. D. CURTIS. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES FOR MAKINGWIRE FENCING.

Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

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' UNTTE A STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN D. CURTIS, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO THE \VASHBURN& MOEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS-FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES FOR MAKING WIRE FENCING.

SPECIEIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,198, dated April20, 1886. Application filed November 18, 1885. Serial No. 183,177. (Noniodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. CURTIS. a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vorccster, in the county of NVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Automatically Stopping Machines for Making \Vire Fencing;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactde- [0 scriptiou thereof, which, in connection with the drawings forminga part of this specification, will enable those skilled in the art towhich my invention belongs to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus or mechanism to be used inconnection with machines for making wire fencing, especially designed tobe used in connection with ma chines for making barbed fencing of anyold and we1l-known construction, for the purpose of automaticallystopping the machine, in case of any obstruction in or on the main wireor wires, or either of them, before they enter the machine, (as a spliceknot or snarl,) which would prevent them from freely passing through themachine, or allowingthe machine to operate in a proper mannerin applyingthe barbs or making the fencing.

My invention consists in the combination,

with a machine for making wire fencing or barbed fencing, of a deviceplaced at the rear end of the machine, so as to be acted upon by thewire or wires before they enter the machine, and mechanism forautomatically ship 5 ping the driving-power or stopping the ma; chine,operated by said device at the rear of the machine, in the manner to behereinafter fully described and set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, ofmy improved automatic stopping apparatus, and of a harbingmachine, and aportion of a twisting and spooling machine, operated independently byseparate counter-shafts and belt-connec- 5 tion, and in connection withwhich my automatic stopping apparatus is used. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the barbing-machine and the automatic stopping apparatusshown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow 00,

0 same figure. Fig.3 isa horizontal section on line'c'b, Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of arrow y, same figure, showing plan of belt-shippers;and Fig. 4. is a plan of the rocking-lever holder, to be hereinafterdescribed, looking in the directionof arrow 10', Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown only such parts of a common andwell-known form of barbing-machine and of a twisting and spoolingmachine as will be essential for the proper understanding of myinvention 5 and the operation thereof, when used in conneetiontherewith, for automatically stopping the saine,in case ofanyobstruction on the main Wire or wires, or either of them, beforeentering the barbing-machine.

The barbing and the twisting and spooling portion of the barbed-fencemachine shown in the drawings are in this instance made separate fromeach other,aud operated by beltconnection on independent counter shafts,7 both counter-shafts being driven by belt-connection with one mainshaft.

If preferred, the barbing portion and the twisting and spooling portionsof the machine for making the barbed fencing may be all 7 made in onemachine, as in the case of Letters Patent No. 187,776, to H. W. Putnam,so that the automatic stopping of the barbing portion of the machinewill also stop the twisting and spooling portion of the machine. In thatcase, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, thedevices shown in the drawings for shipping the belt that operates thetwister and spooler may be dispensed with, as it will only be necessaryto employ the devices shown 8 for shipping the belt that operates thebarbing portion of the machine to stop the same, and simultaneously tostop the twister and spooler, and this without departing fromtheprinciple of my invention, for it will be readily underc stood bythose skilled in the art, by referring to the drawings, and inconnection with the description to be hereinafter given, that thebelt-shipping device of the twister andspooler shown in the drawings issimply a duplicate 5 of the belt-shipping device of the barbing portionof the machine, both being operated together by the device placed at therear end of the barbing-machine, through which the main wire or wirespass in the manner to be hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents a barbing machine, in this instanceoperated by a belt, 13, passing around the driving-wheel 0, secured uponthe main shaft 0 of the machine, andover a pulley, D, secured upon thecountershaft E, which is supported in this instance by means ofangle-hangers or supports a, secured to the underside of the beam orplank d. In the outer ends of the angle-hangers c is supported thesliding rod 6 (see Fig. 3) for ship ping the belt from the iast to theloose pulley in the usual manner.

The barbing-inachine shown in the drawings is designed to apply a barbto one of the two main wires which pass through the machine, the freewire being twisted with the barbed wire after the barb has been appliedto the wire by means of the twisting and spooling machine, a portion ofwhich is shown in the drawings, F being the frame, and G the revolvingshaft supported therein, carrying upon its outer end, toward thebarbing-machine, the twisting and spooling device, of any well-knownform and construction, which is not shown in the drawings, said shaft Fbeing operated by a belt, H, passing around a pulley, I, securedthereto, and over a pulley, J, secured upon the counter-shalt K, whichis supported in this instance by means of angle-hangers or supports f,which also support a sliding rod, 9, for shipping the belt from the fastto the loose pulley, as above described in connection with counter-shaftE. The counter-shafts E and K have each a fast and. loose pulley, L andM, thereon, and are driven by belts N and O, which pass around pulleyson the main driving-shaft, which is not shown in the drawings.

The belt N, for driving the counter-shaft E, is shipped from the fastpulley L to the loose pulley M by means of the lever-arm P, pivoted atits upper end to the support h, and attached to the sliding rod 6, aguide, t, secured to the rod 6, passing over the belt N, all as clearlyshown in Fig. 2 ot' the drawings.

The belt 0, lot driving the counter-shaftK, is shipped in the samemanner as the belt N, except that the lever Q is not connected direct] ywith the sliding rod 9, but operates the same through the interventionof a connecting lever-arm, k, pivoted at Z in the support m.

The levers Pand Q may be operated by the attendant to ship the beltsonto the loose pulleys on the counter-shafts and stopthe barbing machineand the twisting and spooling machine; but by my invention this is doneantomatically without the intervention of the attendant, if there is anyobstruction on the main wire or wires before entering thebarbing-machine.

Upon asupporting-rod, R, is supported what I will call the rockinglever-holder S, prevented t'roin moving endwise on said rod by collarsn. The lever-holder S is so made that the levers P and Q press againstthe ends 00 thereof when the power is applied and the machine is runningproperly, aspring, 1), drawing the lever P and holding it against theholder S, and a sprin q, in connection with aspring, 0', serving to holdthe lever Q. and press it against the other side of the holder S, asclearly shown in the'drawings. Said springsp and q are also for thepurpose of drawing over the leversP and Q,to ship the belts onto theloose pulleys when the rocking levenholder S is moved out of itsposition, to release the levers in the manner to be hereinafterdescribed. In lieu of said springs weights may used. A spring, 8,interposed between the beam or plank d and the top of the holder S, andencircling the rod t, serves to keep the holder S in its properposition, as shown by full lines in the drawings, a check-nut, q, seenred to the rod and above the beam d preventing the holder from beingpushed down too far by the spring 8. A cord or wire, 16.1 8 secured tothe upper end of the rod t, the lower end of said rod being secured tothe lever-holder S. Said cord it passes in this instance over groovedpulleys v v, and is secured at its lower end to an arm, T, hinged orpivoted in a suitable support, 10, at the rear of the barbing-machine.

An angle-lever arm, U, provided in thisinstance with a cross-piece, m,with two guideholes. y, therein at its upper end, and having a spring,2, attached to its lower end and to the door, is pivoted and supportedat the rear of the barbiug-machine in a standard or sup port, V, in sucha position that the lower end of the angle-arm U will rest upon the topof the arm T, as shown in Fig. 1,when the parts are in the positionshown by full lines, Fig. 1.

Through the guide-holes y in the angle-1evcr arm U, or in this instancein the cross-piece m, the main wires s pass before entering thebathing-machine, said holes being somewhat larger than the diameter ofthe wire, said wires and the spring 2, which maybe dispensed with, ifdesired, serving to keep the lever'arin U in its proper position (shownby full lines, Fig. 1) when there is no obstruction in or on the wire toprevent it from freely passing through the holes 3 in said lever-arm U.

The operation of my automatic stopping device will be readily understoodby those skilled in the art from the previous description, in connectionwith the drawings, and is as follows:

As long as there is no obstruction on or in the main wires to preventthem from passing freely through the guide-holes y in the angle-leverarm U, and the machine continues to operate in a proper manner, theparts of my automatic stopping device willbe in the position shown byfull lines in the drawings; but as soon as there is an obstruction-forinstance, a knot, a snarl, or a splice- -in either one of the main wireswhich will not pass through the guide-holes y in the angle-lever arm U,the machine, continuing to operate, will draw the wire or wires along,causing the lever-arm U to be drawn over into the position shown bydot-- ted lines, Fig. 1, and at the same time causing the hinged arm T,upon which the lower end of the lever-arm U rests, to be drawn down,(see dotted lines, Fig.1,) pulling down the cord to, and drawing therocking lever-holder S into the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1,releasing the levers P and Q. The springsp and 5 f, then acting on saidlevers, draw them over, so as to ship simultaneously the belts N andfrom the fast onto the loose pulleys on the counter-shafts, thusstopping the barbing and the twisting and spooling portions of the [0machine automatically.

I have described my invention, and shown it in the drawings, inconnection with a machine for making barbed fencing; but Ido not limitmyself to this, as my invention may be i used in connection with amachine for making plain wire fencing composed of two or more wirestwisted together. It may also be used in connection with a machinedriven by gearconnection, instead of by belt-connection, as

shown.

In case the twisting and spooling portion of the machine is connecteddirectly with the barbing portion of the machine, as in the PutnamPatent No. 187,776, before referred to,

then only one belt-shipping device will be required to stop the machine,instead of two, as shown in the drawings. a

I do not wish to limit myself to the special device for shipping thebelt from the fast to 0 the loose pulleys 0n the counter-shafts, as

shown in the drawings, as any other wellknown form of belt-shippingdevice operated by levers or their equivalents may be used in connectionwith my mechanism for automatically operating said levers to ship thebelts and stop the machine without departing from the principle of myinvention.

I do not wish to limit myself to the rocking lever-holder S described,for any equivalent device for holding the shipping-levers to' beoperated automatically may be employed.

Having described my improvements in an paratus for automaticallystopping wire-fence machines, what I claim therein as my inven- 5 tion,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with a wire-fence ma-' chine and belt-shippingdevice, and lever for operating said shipping device, ofa leverarmprovided with one or more guide-holes, for the purpose stated, pivotedat the rear end of the machine, and the hinged arm T, cord u, androcking lever-holder S, constructed substantially as and for the purposestated.

2. The combination, with pivoted lever-arm U, provided with one or moreguide-holes, for the purpose stated, hinged arm T, cord to, andlever-holder S, of a belt-shipping device provided with anoperating-lever, and with one or more springs to ship the belt automat-6o ically and stop the machine driven by said belt, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination, with a wire-fence machine and belt-shipping devicehaving an operating-lever, and provided with and operated reversely by aspring, of lever-holder S, cord u, and hinged arm T, operated by thepivoted lever-arm U, provided with one or more guide-holes, forthepurpose stated, in the manner substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a belt-shipping device provided with andoperated by a lever and a spring, of the lever-holder S, connected withand operated by a pivoted leverarm U, provided with one or moreguide-holes, for the purpose stated, so that at the proper time thelever-holder S will be automatically moved and the belt shipped to stopthe machine, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with sliding rod 0, 8o spring 9, loop i, and leverP, of rocking leverholder S, -rod t, spring 8, cord a, hinged arm T, andlever arm U, provided with one or more guide-holes, for the purposestated, substantially as set forth.

JOHN D. CURTIS.

In presence of- J OHN G. DEWEY, FREDERICK W. SMITH.

